Development Environments
When writing code, having the right development environment can greatly enhance your productivity. Wix provides development options that let you work directly within Wix or work with the tools you already use.
The development environments are:
- The built-in code editor in Wix Studio or the Wix
- The online Wix IDE for Wix Studio sites.
- A local IDE of your choice, such as VS Code, when using Wix Studio or the Wix Editor. You can use a local IDE, in conjunction with the Wix CLI, after connecting your site to GitHub.
The development environment you should choose depends on your project needs and workflow. Each option offers unique advantages, and you can mix and match environments to some extent as needed.
Note: Some Wix website development features are only available in specific development environments. See each feature’s documentation for a list of development environments that support it.
Code editor
The built-in code editor is a browser-based environment available directly within the Wix Studio or Wix Editor. It provides an easy way to write and manage code alongside the visual site editor, enabling you to write code without leaving the Wix platform.
Learn more about the code editor.
Wix IDE
The Wix IDE is an advanced, VS Code-based online development environment available for Wix Studio sites. The Wix IDE opens in a separate browser tab or window with hot reloading. This gives you more space for both coding and site editing. Having one window to design and preview and a second window to code is especially useful if you’re working with a multi-monitor setup.
The Wix IDE also enables concurrent editing, allowing multiple developers to work in the Wix IDE at the same time.
When working in the Wix IDE, you can utilize the Wix AI Assistant, an intelligent companion that offers real-time coding assistance.
Learn more about the Wix IDE.
Local IDE
Use a local IDE, such as VS Code, for the flexibility and power of a full-featured development environment on your own machine. With a local setup, you can customize your environment and use the extensions and shortcuts that you use for all your non-Wix projects.
To support local development, use the Wix CLI, which connects your local code to your site through GitHub. Once you connect a site to GitHub, you can only edit the site’s code in your local IDE.
The CLI, along with a local editor, allows you to write, test, sync, and publish your code from your local environment. Because your code is stored in a Git repository, you can manage branches, versions, and team collaboration just like you would for any other Git project.
Learn more about using a local IDE.